Online privacy is an issue that has become a huge concern driving many people to the use of virtual private networks (VPNs). A VPN is generally used on a computer but many providers now offer apps for a range of devices, including iOS.

Here we look at why you might wish to protect yourself and your device with a VPN and three VPN providers who offer apps through the App Store for your iOS devices.

Isn’t iOS Secure, Why Use A VPN On Your Device?

With cybercriminals no longer just focusing on computers, it is becoming more important to gain additional protection on Android and iOS devices. While iOS is generally regarded as more secure than Android, it does not mean that owners of iPhones are safe from prying eyes.

The reason iOS is considered to be the safer of the two is that iOS is a “closed system”. This means that Apple will not release the source code. As a result, owners of iOS devices have less access than Android users in regards to modifying their device. But this, in turn, also makes them more difficult to hack.

It does not mean that iOS devices cannot be hacked. This has been proven many times over as people have “jailbroken” iPhones and installed third-party apps. This brings some freedom to the owner but also introduces the worry of security bugs and breaches affecting the phone from outsiders.

iPhone Security Flaws

The iPhone is not without its own inherent security flaws. In 2018, iPhone owners around the world were shocked when Apple revealed huge security oversights that put all owners at risk of having their sensitive information discovered. These flaws were given the names “Spectre” and “Meltdown”, and allowed malicious programmers to intercept the queued activities of a user and gather personal information.

Apple also recently reported they are cracking down on iOS developers who have been caught snooping on users of iPhones.

It seems that iOS developers figured out how to capture interaction by users without the user’s consent using “session replay”. The technology allows developers to see taps and swipes made on the iPhones’ display along with actions on websites, which poses a huge risk on login and payment pages.

With A VPN installed on the iPhone, sensitive and personal data would be a great deal more difficult to obtain, if not impossible.

If you own an iPhone, you might give consideration to using a VPN on your handset to provide additional protection.

A VPN on iOS will offer:

Protection from hackers when out and about using public Wi-Fi
Prevent websites from tracking you
Mask your IP address
Encrypt your data
Help you to avoid geo-restrictions

Here are three VPN apps that you might want to consider installing on your iOS devices. Apps can be downloaded from the VPN company’s website directly or through the App Store.

Top Three Best VPNs For iOS

The iOS VPNs below are all top rated on the App Store. With all of those listed below payment can be made through an iTunes account and can be set to auto-renew.

Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is a popular VPN provider chosen by owners of iPhones, coming in at number two spot in the Productivity category in the Apple App Store with over 85.2K downloads and a 4.4 out of 5 rating.

Hotspot Shield offers access to more than 2,500 servers located in over 25 countries. A great choice for streaming content from Hulu in countries where it’s blocked.

Hotspot Shield offers owners of iPhones and iPads military grade encryption without logging any activity. The provider states they have more than 30 patents, all of which go towards optimizing the connection of the server to ensure speeds are faster and security remains strong.

Benefits of Hotspot Shield VPN for iOS include:

A 7-day trial
Payment and download through your iTunes account
A choice of auto-renewing subscriptions

NordVPN

NordVPN is among the leading VPN providers that offer apps for iOS devices. The NordVPN app has been ranked number 30 on the App Store in the Productivity category and can be obtained free of charge, with some in-app purchases.

The app offers iOS owners the chance to access more than 5000 remote servers from more than 60 countries. Great for unblocking streaming services such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer!

With NordVPN installed on your iPhone or iPad, users have the peace of mind of browsing the internet privately and securely with strong protection from cyber threats. All internet traffic from the device is shielded with strong encryption and the VPN provider does not keep any activity logs.

Features of NordVPN for iOS include:

Automatic kill-switch
IKEv2/IPsec military grade encryption
The option to connect as many as 6 devices
Customer support 24/7
Unlimited traffic

TunnelBear

TunnelBear is available on iOS devices, including iPhone and iPad. The app has been downloaded more than 9.9k times, and it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

TunnelBear is a rare VPN provider that offers a good free package, though monthly and yearly subscriptions are also available. With the paid options iOS users have unlimited data, while with the free package it is limited to 500MB each month.

The benefits of using TunnelBear VPN and Wi-Fi Proxy for iOS include:

It’s free! (up to 500MB)
independently audited security

In Conclusion

The news shows that clearly, iPhone users are not as safe as perhaps they thought. A VPN could prove to be a very valuable tool against snoopers, hackers, and geo-restrictions that Apple customers should consider.